Four Tips for Using Concrete Molds
Type
There are various types of concrete molds that you can use. One of the most popular is the latex variety because they’re easy to use. These concrete molds can be used as soon as they’re removed from the container. However, latex molds sometimes shrink a little and take a long time to dry.
There are also concrete molds that are made from rubber. These molds have the advantage of lasting a long time. They are also quite stretchable, so you can easily form the mold. The drawback of using these concrete molds is that it produces a bad smell.
Casing
You will also need to build a casing for your concrete molds. If you only need to use the mold once, you should make a simple cover made from plaster. You can soak strips of cloth in plaster of Paris and build it over your mold. The casing you use with concrete molds should be at least three-fourths of an inch think.
Removing
You should always use a mold release product so that you can remove the material from concrete molds easily. Some people use motor oil to provide lubrication so that they can easily remove items. However, there are also products that can be sprayed into concrete molds with a spray bottle.
Mixture
The mixture that you put into concrete molds should be relatively stiff. You should make sure that it isn’t soupy. Also, it’s important that you get rid of any air bubbles in the mixture before you put it into concrete molds. You can accomplish this by bouncing the mold up and down until all of the air bubbles have been removed. You can also use a vibrating table to remove the bubbles from the mold.
These are a few tips for using concrete molds. You will have the choice between latex and rubber molds, with each one having it’s own advantages and disadvantages. If you only plan on using your concrete molds once, you can build a simple plaster casing over it instead of something permanent. Make sure that the mixture you pour into the mold is relatively stiff and not soupy.
